While the efforts to ensure the ecological balance for a sustainable and livable future have gained momentum in recent years, sustainable materials have become more needed in this context. Sustainable materials can be summarized as materials that consume less energy and do not harm the environment, nature, and human health, from the process of obtaining their raw materials to the processing stages, their use, maintenance, and repair, and the environmental conditions they are in during waste generation. In addition, they are local materials that respond to the culture they are in, are open to change, recyclable, non-toxic, and non-poisonous. Sustainable urban furniture can contribute to the future by minimizing environmental problems. Within the scope of this study, urban furniture such as seating elements, trash bins, lighting elements, pavement materials, playgrounds, and pergolas in the newly built or revised green areas in the center of Rize in the last five years, in the context of sustainable materials; Durability / Easy maintenance, Performance, Functionality, Space Relation, Economy, Recyclability, Aesthetics, and Ecological Materials were examined by considering criteria. By evaluating the results, evaluations were made on the materials used in urban furniture to create ecological and sustainable environments.

Sorbus aucuparia L. is an important forest tree used in the reforestation of high-altitude mountainous areas, which carries significant pharmaceutical, industrial, ornamental, food, and ecological properties. However, the seed propagation and micropropagation of mature trees of S. aucuparia L., presents various difficulties which are integral aspects for the re-propagation and breeding of novel cultivars. In this study, we isolated the mature embryo-containing seeds of selected varieties of S. aucuparia L. from their seed coat and used them directly as explants in vitro to investigate and determine the optimal dose of cytokinin in breaking seed dormancy and micropropagation. 3 mg/L of benzyl adenine (BA) in addition to different concentrations and combinations of kinetin (0.5, 1, and 2 mg/L), indole-3-butyric acid (IBA) (0, 1, 0.5, and 1 mg/L), and 1-naphthalene acetic acid (NAA) (0, 1, 0.5, and 1 mg/L) were applied within a Murashige and Skoog (1962) (MS) medium at germination inhibition, shoot elongation, and shoot proliferation. In the MS mediums containing BA and kinetin, germination was achieved at the end of 1 week, and shoot proliferation was achieved at the end of 3 weeks. The most successful germination (96%), tallest shoot length (mean 5.1 cm), most shoot proliferation (mean 7.2 pieces), and number of nodes (mean 9.7 pieces) were identified in the MS containing 3 mg/L BA and 1 mg/L kinetin. Direct root formation with shoot elongation occurred in 25% of explants which germinated in the MS medium. For shoots propagated without roots in this medium, 62% of these achieved rooting at the highest dose of 1 mg/L indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) using a two-stage rooting method. Rooted shoots were successfully transferred to an ex vitro medium. These results provide a basis for breaking seed dormancy of selected Sorbus L. genotypes quicker, leading to more effective clonal production. Keywords: Sorbus aucuparia L., rowanberry, tissue culture, seed dormancy, micropropagation, in vitro

The propagation of Crataegus monogyna Jacq. using seeds is important for the creation of new cultivars, but it can be fraught with difficulty. Therefore, the effects of optimal cytokinin doses and culture media on the germination inhibition and micropropagation of seeds in C. Monogyna were investigated. The germination, shoot formation, and propagation in mature seed embryos were compared in Murashige ve Skoog (MS) and Linsmaier ve Skoog (L&S) nutrient media containing 3 mg/L BA(6-benzyladenine) and 0.5–1–2 mg/L kinetin. It was observed that the culture media influenced germination. The germination rate was higher in the MS medium (100%). Shoot proliferation was higher in MS (4.4 shoots per explant). The highest mean results were obtained in both media containing 3 mg/L BA + 1 mg/L kinetin. Root formation and shoot proliferation occurred in 56% of the explants cultured on the germination medium, and 68% rooting was achieved in the medium supplemented with 1 mg/L indoleacetic acid using the two-stage rooting procedure. Regenerated shoots were successfully rooted and transferred to ex vitro conditions. The results provide a solid basis for testing clonal propagation and efficient generative propagation of selected hawthorn genotypes with fruits of superior quality. Study Implications: In this study, the germination barrier of seeds of Crateagus monogyna was removed by the tissue culture method. The seeds germinated within 1 week. In addition, direct material was obtained for clonal production without the need for rejuvenation studies in micropropagation, and a large number of seedlings were obtained. As a result, it has been determined that this species and similar forest trees can be used in mass production owing to their brief microproduction for the protection of species in forestry and reforestation applications.

Genotype and cultivar identification is essential for conserving tea genetic diversity within plantation ecosystems and ensuring the sustainability of high-quality tea production. This study represents the first large-scale genetic characterization of 200 elite varietal candidate tea (Camellia sinensis) clones, which were pre-selected from 2,034 genotypes originating from the Eastern and Western Black Sea regions of Türkiye. Eight polymorphic simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers located near loci associated with catechin content, including epicatechin (EC), epicatechin gallate (ECG), epigallocatechin (EGC), and epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), were employed. SSR profiles were generated for all 200 tea clones cultivated in control plots at the National Tea Gene Bank, and the resulting data were additionally used for DNA barcoding of 12 varietal candidate tea clones currently under registration. Among the evaluated markers, TM412 (EGC) exhibited the highest polymorphism information content (PIC = 0.8816), whereas TM376 (EC) showed the lowest (0.4321). Notably, TM412 (EGC) and TM399 (ECG) displayed high PIC values, indicating their strong discriminatory potential for Turkish tea genotypes. The findings indicate that Turkish tea germplasm possesses substantial genetic diversity, and some markers may be effectively utilized in variety registration and breeding efforts. This study presents the first comprehensive molecular characterization of tea genetic resources in Türkiye. It contributes to the long-term conservation of selected clones and supports the variety registration process through DNA barcoding and a QR code-based traceability system. The genetic dataset generated in this work contributed directly to the establishment of Türkiye’s first and the world’s fifth-largest tea gene pool in Rize Province, providing a valuable reference for strengthening tea genetic resource conservation and breeding programs at both national and global scales.

In this study, the effects of urban furnitures in the city center of Rize on the users (tourists, local people, periodical users) were investigated considering the site selection, size, density, layout, visual characteristics, aesthetic value and spatial relationships. Also, the sustainability of the urban furniture and their potential to be a landmark were evaluated in the context of Rize city identity. While 63% of the users emphasized the dimension and originality of the statue of tea pot placed in front of the municipality building and stated that it is appropriate for the place where it is located and it has an effect on people’s habits, the statue of Atatürk which is located in front of the governor’s building and one of the objects regarded as a Landmark stands out with a rate of 70%. In addition, the statue of Atatürk was preferred by the users with the highest rate in the study area according to all evaluation criteria as its location, semantic feature and structural feature.

Background: The growing environmental crisis, driven by population increases and rapid urban development, has amplified the need for sustainable and ecological design approaches. Biomimicry, drawing inspiration from nature’s forms, processes, and systems, offers promising solutions in this context. Particularly in landscape architecture, biomimicry supports the integration of esthetics with ecological responsibility. Methods: This study presents a bibliometric analysis using the Scopus database to quantitatively assess the relationship between biomimicry and sustainable/ecological design within landscape architecture. A stepwise search strategy was applied, and the Biblioshiny tool within the version 4.2.1 of Bibliometrix package in RStudio 2024.04.1+748 software was used for data analysis and visualization. Results: A total of 1634 documents were identified under the keyword “biomimicry,” among which 210 addressed sustainability and/or ecological design. However, only three studies explicitly connected biomimicry, sustainable/ecological principles, and landscape architecture. Keyword trends, publication years, and country-level contributions were also examined. Conclusions: The findings highlight a substantial gap in the literature on the integration of biomimicry within sustainable landscape architecture. This underscores the need for further interdisciplinary research and practice that incorporates biomimetic principles to promote ecological innovation in landscape design.